Finding freedom by sharing your story

Perhaps you’ve been burned before…like that time you confessed your fears to another and they offered up judgement over grace. Maybe you shared a hurt with someone who in turn shared it with someone else. It’s hard to share those parts of our story that are embarrassing or shameful not knowing what someone’s reaction will be.

Author Jamie Ivey has found that keeping those hidden parts of our lives inside can often keep us feeling boxed-in and full of shame. In sharing even the unspeakable and unattractive parts of our journey, we can actually find freedom. And if we’re lucky, even those shameful parts of our story can point us right to Christ.

“There’s been this culture that allows that kind of thing to fester. We are so afraid of what people will think or what people will say. So instead of sharing our stories with others, we just carry that fear around. That burden keeps us from being free.”

“As women, we need to welcome the stories of others—even the stories that are painful and shocking. Jesus hung around with all sorts of people who were sinners and who messed up. But I don’t see Jesus ever getting disgusted with those people. I do believe that He hates sin, but He makes sure that people know and understand that they are loved. So if a woman comes to me with her story of brokenness, I want to enter that place with her and I want to point her towards Jesus and His grace.

Finding forgiveness and grace isn’t always easy, but Christ offers this without exception. Choosing to follow Jesus guarantees forgiveness, but it does not mean our lives will always be trouble-free.

“If you believe that as soon as you start following Jesus that you’re never going to mess up, and that you’re never going to struggle with anything, then you’re going to be greatly let down the first time that storm rolls in.”

“He always says when the storms come, not ifbut when. The storms will still come, but now I’ve built my house on a much more firm foundation. So when the storms roll through the Ivey house, the house still stands. We might be missing a few shingles or something, but the house still stands.”